Download - IBNS

Letters
Dear Editor,
Are the ‘Madagascar Action Plan’ commemorative notes an
unauthorized ‘illegal’ issue? In the issue of Numismatique &
Change no 397 of October 2008, an article by Josef Gerber
entitled: Un billet commemorative au plan d’action Madagascar
2007-2012 appeared. This article discussed and featured a special
commemorative note of Ariary 2,000. This note differed from the
normal note by:
• Being overprinted with ‘Madagascar Action Plan 2007-2012’.
• A special serial number with a prefix MAP.
• Being overprinted with ‘Madagascar naturellement’.
In the IBNS Journal Volume 48 Number 1, 2009, a picture
of another of these MAP notes: Ariary 5,000 appears in the
section ‘New Issues’. To my knowledge these are the only two
denominations of MAP notes to have been produced. What is
interesting about these notes is that they appear to have been
produced without the knowledge or authorization of the Banque
Central de Madagascar!!
In November 2008 I was in Antananarivo and with Mr.
Gerber’s article in hand I went to the Banque Central de
Madagascar with high hopes of securing some of these MAP
notes. I went inside past the heavily armed soldiers protecting
the building and was directed to the receptionist. She was very
helpful but said that she had never heard of any such MAP notes.
When I showed her the article she was even more surprised. She
phoned the Governor’s secretary and asked her about the notes.
The answer came back straight away that no one is aware of these
notes. I gave her the article and she said she would personally look
into the matter and that I should come back the next day. I took
the occasion to ask her for some general issue UNC notes also.
She happily took my order.
Next day she had all my UNC notes as ordered. But she was
categorical. She had spoken to all the officials responsible for
Madagascar’s bank note production and none was aware of, or
had authorized the production of any MAP notes. She concluded
that if such notes existed (and clearly they do) then their
production must have been authorized by the Minister of Finance
or the President and that the people at the Banque Central de
Madagascar were very annoyed about this. ‘Heads would roll’ she
seemed to imply!
And indeed they have. Last week President Marc
Ravlomananana resigned after two months of civil disorder and
street protests that had left over 100 people dead. He handed
power to a Military committee that a few hours later handed
power to the ex-lord mayor of Antananarivo who is now the
Interim President. That is likely also the end of the Madagascar
Action Plan, as the international community has refused to
recognize the new regime and has cut all non-humanitarian aid to
Madagascar.
Owen Griffiths
IBNS member 6367
The overprinted Ariary 5,000, which now has a questionable pedigree.
Dear Editor,
Banknotes depicting coins is a thematic very much ignored.
Since coins are strongly related to banknotes and most of them
have very high artistic value and tremendous historic interest one
would expect this thematic should be more closely studied and
further research should be done on it.
I trust that one of your specialists will soon look into it.
Closing this letter I kindly request banknotes collectors interested
in the thematic in question to contact me. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Antonis Philippou 9951
24 Tsalouhidi Str
54248 Thessaloniki
GREECE
Two Greek banknotes (P. 128 and P.130) depicting coins on them.
6 IBNS Journal 48.2